film theory

As we embark on this journey of representation, we must always consider that representation in media of Latina and Black women often comes down to stereotypes. In his book, Latino Images in Film, Charles Ramirez Berg introduces some of the most common Latina/o stereotypes. He argues that the female clown was developed to neutralize the screen Latina's sexuality, which is a necessary requirement because the hero must have a reason to reject the Latina in favor of the Anglo-woman (Ramirez-Berg 73). Another stereotype is the dark lady, a stereotype of the female Latin lover. She is virginal, inscrutable, aristocratic, and erotically appealing precisely because of these characteristics (Ramirez-Berg 76). A third stereotype, the harlot, is a common character and seen particularly in Westerns. She is lusty and hot-tempered, and her conduct is simplistically attributed to her inherent nymphomania (Ramirez-Berg 70-71). This harlot stereotype is the embodiment of Latinos in the media. In the words of Ramirez-Berg, at heart, every Latina is a jezebel (79).